Fire Keeper
by slytherincailin
Summary: A strange occurance during the triward tournament, a sudden fixation with a shy Slytherin, all things which Harry Potter knows are having on impact on his life. But how? And why? Creature!fic Slash Mpreg Original Characters Harry/multi *Original creature thought up by Salus Gem
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is story based on a concept thought up by the author Salus Gem. In her own work she had created a creature known as a Dragonette (a human with the ability to transform into a dragon) and a Dragonette Destined (their mates). I loved Salus Gem's concept so much, I thought I'd try an attempt at writing my own story based on these creatures, with her permission of course. The only thing which Salus Gem does not have which I will be including in my story is mpreg, which is a feature of all my stories so I'mn ot about to stop now! **

**Warnings: Mpreg, Slash, Creatures, Original Characters paired with main characters, violence, possible angst, D/s **

**Pairings: (Main) Harry/Theo/OMC/OFC/?**

**Disclaimer: Anything associated with Harry potter is not mine nor do I recieve payment for the production of this story. The known characters, places and familiar situations in this piece are a product of J K Rowling. **

* * *

**Prologue: **An Introduction To The Rest Of Your Life

Harry drew a sharp breath in as he pushed open the curtain that separated him from what could possibly be, the end of his life.

He scraped a shaking hand through ruffled hair badly in need of a cut, his green eyes focused solely on the golden egg that lay like a taunting presence in the middle of what seemed to be an empty field.

But it couldn't possibly be an empty field. No, he could sense her. He could almost hear the shallow puffs of her breath as he took a step forward, and another…

And then, suddenly, there she was. Her head threw back in a triumphant roar as she watched him scatter back, his chest heaving as he stared emerald green eyes into her own golden ones. And she stared back.

Her every sense, every thought was directed at him, around him. Go on, she seemed to dare, her eyes unblinking as he whispered the words that would summon his broom to his side, try to take it.

Harry mounted his broom, his heart beating an insane rhythm against his chest as he took flight, and she followed. Each manoeuvre of his was countered by her, each swipe in the egg's direction easily stopped by a lazy flick of her tail or wing. For a bizarre moment, Harry believed she knew. She knew that this was no egg of hers. She knew that this was a trial for him. She knew his next steps were dependant on her and she relished it as much as a beater relished aiming a bludger at an opposing team. A sadistic enjoyment.

He shook the thoughts from his head as he was chased, his mind spitting fire that he could believe such nonsense, that a dragon would truly be advanced enough to know he rules of the Triwizard tournament. Such a thing would only serve to distract him.

He grasped the egg before the game had even really begun, raising it in the air like he would a snitch, grinning when an answering roar rose up from the crowds. This was where he belonged. He clutched the egg in triumphant hands, his green eyes sliding from where his friends sat in the booths to where the Horntail had landed, her golden eyes locked onto his once more.

Those yellow eyes bore into his own, causing his hands to slack, forcing his magic to the very surface of his skin until it began to itch, to shiver. Panicked, he tried to look away, to shut his eyes, but he was too far gone. Whatever pull the beast had had on him vanished as swiftly as it had come and left his vision dark, spotted and uneven, until he realised that he was falling into unconsciousness and he had dropped from his broom.

###

"He's waking up!"

"Is he, really? Madam Pomfrey said he'd be out for hours, magical exhaustion. Though how he went and did that to himself, I'll never know. You know, magical exhaustion happens when…"

"'Mione," Harry slurred as he awoke, his vision clearing as he tried to scowl up at the brunette from where he lay in what he presumed was a hospital bed, "I do not need a lecture right now."

"Don't need a lecture! Like bloody hell you don't! Frightened the life out of us, you did, Harry! What the bleedin' hell was all that about?"

Harry turned confused eyes on the redhead the sat on his other side, his slowly clearing vision taking in how pale Ron looked, so pale in fact that each of his freckles was standing out. "Are you talking to me again?"

For a moment Ron looked baffled, his mouth agape as he peered down at the smaller man, before he launched into speech. "Of course I bloody well am! After a stunt like that! 'Tis a wonder you survived on your own for so long, just wait 'till Mum hears about this. Merlin, Harry, as if I could ever abandon you, I was a right idiot I know, Mione's gone and told me but I did try warn you about the dragons, didn't I? Now about this egg…"

Harry let Ron prattle on, smiling softly as the redhead began to list off ideas, only for Hermione to shake her head and explain why, in detail, his idea would not work. Harry lay in the bed, content and willing to forget the strange occurrence that had landed him in the bed in the first place.

###

A week.

He had precisely a week until the next tournament and he had nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Harry groaned as he pushed books away from himself and crossed his arms before dropping his head against the table with a soft thump, thankful again for the freak occurrence of his magical exhaustion that had healed his vision beyond the need for glasses.

"Are you alright?"

The voice was soft, male but undeniably soft. Had it been any other voice, Harry would not have bothered to respond. This voice, however, was a voice that sparked against the inside of his skull and caused his head to snap up and his green eyes to land on the boy that stood not a foot away from him, a collection of books clutched in his slender arms.

Harry gazed at the snake crest for only a moment before his eyes darted to the stranger's face. He should know this boy, why should he know this boy?

"Theo" Harry said suddenly, frowning as he lingered on the honey-brown shade of Theodore Nott's hair a second longer than necessary. "You're Theo."

The brown eyed boy looked some place between amused and affronted, and settled in the end for a dainty sniff and a raised eyebrow. "I am well aware of who I am and had I known I was talking to Harry Potter, I wouldn't have bothered with the concern."

Harry couldn't help it; he grinned. The snotty attitude was so obviously a front that it bordered on hysterical. A mask. Why would a Slytherin need a mask to be mean? "I do believe you knew it was me all along, Theo."

The brunette shifted, his cheeks pinking under Harry's stare. With a small sneer he turned on his heel and left, darting one last, curious glance at Harry before exiting the Library. Harry stared at the place where he had vanished long after Hermione came down with her own study work, his head tilted as he tried to recall why he had never felt such an interest in such a shy presence before. Any Slytherin who offered concern instead of haughty remarks was a Slytherin he would gladly save.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One:** An Explanation For An Unknown Problem

Four Years Later:

He moved swift pale fingers over his clothing, scowling at the moth-eaten edges. One would think that since the defeat of Voldemort that Harry would have had more than enough time to buy new clothes. In essence, that was a lie. He would give his new broom for some time to himself, time to think, time to put the difficulties of the past behind him and stride towards a brighter future.

The only problem with that plan, of course, was that Harry had never really believed he would have a future. The nasty business involving his own soul being a horcrux and his near fatal ending had been a blow, but a blow that he had in some way anticipated. He had always known on some level that he would never make it out of that final battle at Hogwarts alive.

But he had! The black haired eighteen-year-old scowled, flinging down one of the larger shirts in favour of another and stuffing both that and his cloak into his suitcase. He latched it shut with a trembling hand, his other rubbing against his temple in wearily. He had come away from it alive. Where he should have died, others had instead fallen in his place. Remus… Sirius… Tonks… So many others…

And what of those who hadn't fallen? Who had been dragged to cells and imprisoned in their own homes by the ministry? What could he now do for them, when so few of the wizarding world were willing to believe their actions were done purely out of fear for their families. Had he not come fort only a month ago, Malfoy and his mother would now be spending a lifetime in Azkaban beside the wretched Lucius.

"You can't save everyone, Harry." Ginny's voice was sweet in his ear, her smile soft though behind it all he could see the fragile cracks. The cracks he had caused by pushing her away. "I know, Gin, Merlin, I know, but…" Harry had sighed, broken. He had been so very broken in the aftermath of it all, held together only by a stubborn desire to move on and his family.

But… He had never finished that sentence. But what? What was expected of him now that he had done what he had been born to do? What could the Slytherins possibly expect from him except the weary forgiveness he had offered, though many of his friends believed him a fool for offering them anything.

He had done it for him. .

_Him._

A presence he had not seen in four years, a presence he had only taken notice of once and yet it stayed with him, the brief meeting burning into his daydreams. It was the absence of him that tore at Harry. He had not seen Theodore Nott since the very end of fourth year. Though he had continued to search for any mention, any signs of the boy to the point where his friends believed him obsessed, he had found nothing.

Had the very idea of it not sent a shooting pain through his chest, Harry would have believed the boy dead and end of story.

But he couldn't be dead. He couldn't possibly be just… dead. Just… gone from the world when he had left such a lasting impression. Nott senior had been one of the first to buckle under the ministry's wrath with the fall of Voldemort and even their impressive sources could find no hint of Theo being around for the battle, alive or otherwise.

Harry groaned, his hand dropping from his head and moving instead to card through the black curls atop his own head. They sat in disarray, framing his pale face in an almost childlike way, though one would be very foolish indeed to consider those emerald green eyes anything but the eyes of a war hero pushed nearly to the edge.

With a small snort, he pushed his morbid thoughts away. Tugging on his case, he hauled the lot from his bed and made his way down the winding staircase of the Burrow, his home. He inhaled deeply, a smile lighting his face at the scent of cooking that wafted through the kitchen door.

"Morning, Harry,"

He cast his luggage to one side in the already crowded hallway, his eyes flitting towards Hermione as she laid a book atop her own case. Her hair sat softly atop her shoulders, its wildness tamed under Ginny's expert fingers. "mornin', 'Mione, where's everyone?"

"Getting up and dressed I expect," she laughed with a roll of her eyes, "Ginny's still doing her hair and Ron was snoring last time I knocked on his door. Although, from the way Fred and George were whistling, I suspect he'll be up and about in no time."

She cut off with a squeak of surprise as a bang suddenly met their ears, shaking dust from the ceiling and followed by what could only be described as a yell of pain. Harry darted one quick glance upwards, his smile widening despite himself as Fred leaned over the banister and winked in his direction. "And that would be dear Ronald's wake up call."

The pair made their way hastily towards the kitchen as Molly came rushing out in her apron, a wooden spoon already brandished in one hand and murder in her hazel eyes.

###

The train pulled to a stop and with it, the students piled out, the gap between first years and older years now seemed cavernous. Whereas once they had all laughed at the excited chatter of the younger years as they took in the sight of the castle and lake, now the majority of the older years seemed somehow subdued. The seventh years who had returned to finish their schooling cast wary looks around, their hands twitching as if ready to pull their wands in defence at any given moment. It was Luna's presence alone that kept both Harry and Ron from vibrating off the seats of the carriage with the tension.

"Who do you suppose will be teaching us defence this year?" the blonde asked softly, her eyes, though distant, watched as more and more students drew back from the thestrals, their brows creased in confusion. "No idea," Neville supplied as he stretched, sweeping a hand through his collar-length brown hair, "but whoever it is, they would want to be very, very brave."

"You don't suppose Snape will take it over do you? I mean, Slughorn wouldn't give up potions so easily, would he?" Hermione's brown eyes narrowed in thought as they neared the castle, her gaze darting to Harry for the briefest of moments. The dark haired Gryffindor grinned. "It's a miracle that great big bat is alive at all. If he's teaching this year he has my respect. To be honest, I'm more interested in finding out who'll take over for Hagrid. Wasn't he still on paid leave when he sent his letter last week?"

"That he is, mate," Ron nodded as the carriage drew to a stop. The tall red head was the first to leave, his blue eyes bright as he took Hermione's hand to help her down. "From what I heard, he's off on holidays for another year, and rightly so after the things he went through. I still say it should be you on paid leave, Harry." The smaller boy laughed as the group made their way towards the bright castle. "Not bloody likely, who'd look after you and'Mione?" Luna cast him a small smile and waved as they neared the Great hall, splitting off to find a seat at her own table. Ron snorted as he took his seat, eyeing the table of teachers critically. "I can take care of myself, mate."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure, but…"

"Bloody hell!"

Harry jumped as he was interrupted, his eyes snapping open to stare at where Ron was staring. "What? What is it?"

"It's Charlie! What the bloody hell's he doing here! Oi! Charlie!"

Hermione hissed as the red head seated at the professors table glanced at them sharply, his grin all but splitting his tanned face. "Ronald Weasaley! Don't you dare scream into my eardrum again! And at the teacher's table no less!"

Harry snorted as Ron's ears turned a suitable pink and he mumbled an apology, though he perked up as soon as he realised his older brother had stood up and was making his way towards them. "Here he comes!"

Harry shook his head softly as he glanced up and green eyes locked with a familiar pair of blue. A tremor raced up his spine, though whether it was his own magic or the magic he had felt around him from time to time, Harry couldn't tell. He watched through narrowed eyes as Charlie stared at him, a curious tilt to the dragon-tamer's head.

The older redhead pushed into a seat beside his brother, clapping Ron hard enough on the back for him to cough and offering a smile to Hermione. He flicked a curious gaze across the table to where Harry sat. "Hello, Harry, haven't seen you since the quidditch world cup."

"What are you?"

The question left his lips unbidden, a thought that had barely entered his mind before he had pushed it out in innocent curiosity. The tremor was a now constant vibration against his spine, sparking against his own magic in a way that felt delightfully comfortable. He blushed as he realised what he had just said, a hand rising to cover his mouth forcefully. "I'm so sorry!"

Charlie, however, merely laughed. Ignoring Ron's frown at Harry and Hermione's gaping mouth, he offered a hand to the smaller Gryffindor. For a moment, Harry didn't want to take it. His stomach clenched as he held out a hand of his own and clasped the redhead's. He hissed as a spark of unknown magic raced up his arm and drew back with a glare at the older Weasley.

"Sorry, Harry," Charlie laughed, "had to make sure. I'll be damned, I'm surprised no one told me there was another in the family. Was it the Horntail then? That beast had her eye on you from the start."

"What are you talking about?" Harry interrupted with a frown, his gaze darted to Ron as if searching for back up that his brother was insane. "The Horntail? Who should have told you what?"

Charlie stared at him, until understanding lit his features and he offered Harry a sad smile. "Oh," he sighed, "you don't know." Harry growled at the statement, clenching his hand softly. "Don't know what? Really, Charlie, you had better start making sense or…"

"You, Harry, are a Destined. A Dragonette Destined to be perfectly precise." Ron made a small sound at the back of his throat, wide eyes shooting to his brother. "What?" he shrieked, drawing the attention of the younger years that had begun to gather around them. "Are you insane, Charlie? You think I wouldn't know if my friend were a Destined?"

"Ron! Shut up!" Hermione snapped suddenly, her voice a sharp whisper in comparison to Ron's blatant yell. "This makes sense! Don't you see? his desire to constantly be around us, his family, the way he took the deaths of the others, the way he pushed Ginny away without even realising it!" There was excitement in her voice, as though she had been trying to figure out a puzzle for a long time, and had suddenly found the missing piece. "This explains why his magic keeps lashing out at all those suitors that were trying to harass him in Diagon, he couldn't recognise them as a mate!"

As clarity hit Ron like a brick, he let out a groan of understanding and clapped a hand over his face. "I never even thought… All those years wondering what was up with his mood swings and I went through the blasted same thing with Charlie! Damn it, I never made the connection! No one made the blasted connection! To think… "

The excited chattering of the pair was brought to an abrupt end as a streak of magic suddenly latched around Ron's wrist and dragged him closer to his brother. "Enough!" Charlie scowled, "you've terrified him!" Ron's blue eyes shot to where his friend was sitting, taking in the confusion in those green eyes and the way Harry had paled. "Aw, no, mate I'm sorry," he sighed, "I'm useless at this."

"I'll say," Charlie agreed with a snort, casting a wary glance towards the top table before blue eyes once more landed on Harry. "There are things you need to be told Harry and I promise you though they may seem like a lot, it's not bad. Will you walk with me?"

Harry cast his friends a weary glance, for once in his life, uncertain whether he wanted their knowledge to be shared with him. With a sigh he rose up slowly and made to follow the redhead, but not before a shout from Ron drew them back.

"Oi! What are you doing in Hogwarts anyway?"

Charlie offered a small smile and a bow. "I am your new Care Of Magical Creatures professor and you may call me sir."

* * *

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A/N: My apologies for taking so long to upload this and may I just say, wow. I was not expecting such a response haha thank you so much for reviewing elvesknightren, RRW, Scioneeris, blackrain-blackblood, salus gem, witchy-raven and loverofbothsexes5102 ^^ and to everyone who is following this fic I hope I do good haha.

RESPONSE:

Scioneeris: I'm almost sure it's your work that Slaus Gem's ide is based off of, right? There Be Dragons, Harry ^^ I love that story and the title, it's awesome thank you so much for reviewing I can only hope that I keep going good ^^ Never done a theoxharry fic before I am a big drarry fan and tend to focus on that but once I get a good idea I'll run with it and I love the idea Salus Gem's story gave me :)

Blackrain-blackblood: Thank you kindly for the review ^^ I do only creature!fics so if you'd like you can have a look at my other work :) Tis all slash and mpreg

Salus Gem: Thank you for having the wonderful idea of the Dragonettes and thank you so much for letting me use it ^^ I hope this is a good read for you and I'll try to keep updates more regular. Thank you! oh and by the way, I love how Dragonette Debacle is going ^^

Witch-raven: So glad you're enjoying this so far and as for your questions, yes there shall be females in the mateships and I will explain them as it comes along, more than likely in the next two chapters :) I have a rather unique female Destined called Myvi who I'm certain will be well liked.. well, hopefully! As for the whole sub!Harry issue, honestly, I'm not sure. I was all for a dominant Harry to try and do something different (because I always make him sub) but as I write this, he's just becoming more and more sweet and in need of care haha I'll see how it goes though if he ends up dominant, feel free to check out my other fics, they're all creature!fics and most feature a sub harry :) Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two:** A Rather Unnecessary Complication 

Harry sat, or rather slouched in the seat he had been offered, his arms crossed and a scowl fixed on his lips. It wasn't that Harry didn't like Charlie. Though they had only met once before, Charlie was family, and therefore above the temper Harry would have happily unleashed had it been anyone else that had just taken him away from the welcoming feast and forced him into a crowded office.

But it wasn't anybody else. This wasn't a death eater trying to kill him, nor was it a teacher he disliked. It was just plain old Charlie Weasley; a man whose magic was sparking up against Harry's own in a way that set his teeth on edge.

"Charlie, what are you?"

The redhead grinned as he flicked his wand towards the fire grate, causing a sudden eruption of flames. It was the heat that drew the stoney expression from Harry's face and caused his folded arms to slack. "So glad you asked, Harry," Charlie replied happily, before plonking himself down on the desk. He held out his arm, his eyes closing briefly in concentration as a small glow rose the surface of his skin, a visible magic that drew Harry like a moth to a flame.

The green eyed boy gaped, his mouth opening as he unfurled cold fingers and skimmed them across the glow. It sparked against him, almost painful, like a collision of energies. "What is this?"

Charlie opened his eyes slowly, his brow furrowed in concentration. "This, Harry, this is dragon magic."

Harry watched the glow begin to recede with almost a pang of sadness, the warmth of the fire suddenly not enough. "I don't understand." He whispered.

"I hadn't thought you would," Charlie answered back with a small smile, "but showing you now may give you more of an open mind to what I'm about to tell you. You see, Harry, I'm what's often called in the wizarding world, a Dragonette Destined. I don't suppose you've ever heard of a dragonette, have you? It's not something often taught in Hogwarts."

Harry shook his head slowly, his gaze darting towards the elder man's arm as if expecting the glow to return once more. "No. I haven't."

"I see." Charlie sighed, before moving to sit in the seat across from the eighteen-year-old. "A dragon is a powerful creature, Harry. Many think they're mindless beasts, while others worship them as powerful beings, capable of thought and speech and power. Neither mindset is really the correct one, but rather a balance of the two. A dragon is a creature, but a creature with enough self-thought and intelligence to know when change must be forced. There's a legend in wizarding lore of a dragon known as Shira. Shira was smarter than her brethren, intelligent beyond what was thought capable and for that, she was feared.

Men had stolen her, kept her trapped in a cave with horrific chains and weapons. They robbed her of her blood and her scales until she grew weak. She was dying. But there were others trapped in that cave with her, men and women who were robbed from their homes for being witches, for siding with the devil. Our people, Harry. Wizards and witches captured and killed by muggles during the burning times.

Shira knew that she was dying, and it grieved her that she would never have a family of her own, nor that the men and women trapped with her would ever be free. With tremendous courage, Shira sacrificed herself before the men could kill her and drove her magic, her memories and her very soul into each of the wizards and witches imprisoned in that cave."

Charlie's eyes darkened, his forehead creased as he watched the floor, almost as though he had forgotten Harry. "Some were killed. The strength, the transformation was too much to handle and their magical cores simply could not support it. They died horrible deaths, but those who survived, became something different entirely. They were creatures, a perfect blend of wizard and dragon with only two forms; that of the hybrid and that of the dragon. These creatures were called Dragonettes and they broke free of their prison.

They formed circles, mateships of their own with others like them and with humans. They lived for many months, until chaos slowly broke out. The mateships with more than one Dragonette would fight, battle until there was only one, too driven by instinct to prove that they were dominant. Over time, it became clear that the humans would never bear the young of the dragonettes and so they struck a deal with their full-blooded Dragon cousins. Should a man or woman prove themselves worthy, they would be infused with only a fraction of dragon magic and become the mates capable of holding a mateship together. They would become Destined."

The silence was a heavy one, filled with a tension that snapped as Harry did, his head rearing up in confusion. "I don't understand... why are you telling me this? What's going on, Charlie, really?"

The redhead smiled, reaching a hand out and grabbing Harry's arm before the Gryffindor could react. He dragged nails down the pale skin, before gripping the wrist hard and squeezing. A small glow lit the space captured by the redhead's fingers before Charlie drew back with a hiss, shaking his hand as though it had been shocked.

Harry remained immobile, his gaze fixed on his own wrist, which had just glowed the strangest shade of yellow, a yellow similar to the glow that had been coming from Charlie's arm only moments ago. Green eyes snapped up to watch the second eldest Weasley, his head shaking in denial. "I'm not." he croaked hoarsely.

"You are, Harry." Charlie sighed, "I know you'd rather not believe it but you are a Destined. Though the legend may be only a story, we are not and the Dragonettes are a very real species. You are a Destined. Dominant or submissive, it doesn't matter, you are destined to be the mate of dragonette. You'll never be happy with anybody else."

"You're lying!" Harry yelled, his green eyes shining as he stood swiftly, knocking over the chair behind him. "I can't be! I'm not!"

A light sparked in Charlie's eyes before he stood, pacing towards the smaller man. He growled low in his throat. "You are." He said lowly, "the Horntail saw fit to give you this blessing and you had better accept that or you will be driven insane. Oh, Harry, why else would your magic recoil each time Ginny touched you? Yes, she told me. Each time she so much as held your hand, the dragon magic in you would shock her. It's a part of you, it's who you were meant to be. Don't run away from it, Harry. It's a gift..."

"I don't want it." Harry had little idea that his eyes had begun to leak, leaving a trail of tears down flushed cheeks. Normality. It was what he craved, what he desired beyond all else. And now it had been taken from him, stolen from him years before he had even a chance to wish for it. "Why... Why would it..."

He choked on his words, the reality of what Charlie had said sinking slowly into his mind. The older man looked stricken, before pulling him into an embrace and shushing him softly. "It isn't a bad thing, little brother," he whispered. Harry hiccupped a soft laugh at the title, nodding his head. He was the little brother. He had help in this, he had someone who could explain this, who could control this.

Was it really so bad? A soft, small part of himself whispered. Was it truly the worst thing in the world to be special, to be needed by someone else? Did he have a choice. A small squeak left his lips. "I have a choice, right?" he demanded, his green eyes suddenly narrowed, "I'm not going to have to notify the ministry and be foisted upon the first person that comes?"

Charlie rumbled a laugh, standing back to open the door for the suspicious Gryffindor. "Naturally, Harry," he chuckled, "we're wizards with a bigger spark of magic, not criminals. Of course you have a choice."

Harry nodded slowly as he watched Charlie shut the door behind him and start towards the great hall. With any luck, dinner would still be in progress. As they walked, Charlie spoke to him in soft tones. "The dragonettes have gatherings. Get togethers every few months where they meet family and old friends and new friends. All destined are encouraged to come. They spend days there, in a village designed especially for dragonette mateships or a campsite out in the open. Granted, with the war there hasn't been one in Britain in about twelve years, but there will be one at Yule in Briha."

"Briha?" Harry asked as they neared the hall, the sounds of voices and the clatter of plates bringing a small smile to his mouth. Charlie nodded. "Yupp, Briha. It's a village not far from here, actually, by the coast. I was thinking of going," his gaze flittered to Harry, "you're welcome to come..."

The offer was one that tempted him, despite his best attempts to convince himself that he wanted nothing more than to remain at Hogwarts. There was something missing at Hogwarts, something... someone he was certain he would not find here. Though he was even more certain he would not find Theo at a dragonette meeting, it was an escape he desperately needed.

"Yes," he said with a sudden grin, before rounding the corner into the hall he turned sincere eyes on Charlie. "And thank you."

The man he considered a brother merely smiled, and offered him a small salute before heading towards the staff table. Harry slid into his seat with a sigh. Dragging a plate of mince pie before him he spooned a mouthful and brought the food to his open mouth, his gaze darting upward for only a split second to find that both Ron and Hermione had him pinned with identical looks of curiosity.

Harry groaned as he dropped the spoon, it was going to be a long night.

* * *

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A/N: Once again thank you to everyone who reviewed, RRW, Witchy-raven, booklover950 and Mila Pink. And huge thanks to Salus Gem for the idea and continued support ^^ Still debating on the whole to sub harry or not to sub matter but we'll see in due time haha happy new year people and happy readings ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three: **Briha**

"How can you tell if you're dominant or submissive?"

Charlie groaned as he was roused, once again, from near-sleep by the curious voice beside him. He ran his fingers through thick, red hair, shooting his younger brother a determined glare as he straightened in his seat.

He sighed as he glanced out the darkening window of the train carriage, his blue eyes focused on the horizon as they steadily approached their destination. "Until you are exposed to Dragonettes and others like you, it is impossible to know, Harry," Charlie said softly, clasping his hands on his stomach, "your instincts will come out in Briha, especially as soon as you meet your first Dragonette. It is said that submissive Destined are chosen because they've suffered great abuse and trauma in their pasts and are therefore in need of protection. The dominant destined are those who have shown great bravery and loyalty and are therefore deemed the protector."

"And it is the submissive that bare children. Men and all?"

Charlie chuckled as he glanced up into wide green eyes. "Men and all. It's the magic of the dragon, Harry. A submissive will bare children for their dragonette and for the dominant they feel most attached to. You see, a dragonette will always form a mateship. They will always have more than one pair of lovers. Though each person is loved equally, ties are formed by the submissives. They will adore their dominants, and form an immaculate bond with just one. It is the way of the magic, I can't really explain it any better."

Harry nodded softly, his black curls scuffing against his collar as he turned to stare from the window. Charlie could not deny that the discovery of what he was had done wonderful things to his younger brother. Harry's green eyes all but sparkled against the pale flush of his face and his once lank hair looked sleek. Had Charlie not found the idea so disturbing, he probably would have jumped the boy already.

"Why do you go to these gatherings Charlie?"

The question was soft, lest it offend the dragon-tamer, but Charlie merely laughed. "I know I said I've no interest in joining a mateship at the moment, and you may feel the same, but I adore being around others like me, Harry. I love knowing that my dragon magic can rise to the surface and lash out without hurting others. They are a happy bunch, is our kin."

"Well, it seems unlikely that they will welcome me, then isn't it? I'm not at all happy."

Charlie tsked, moving from his chair to wrap one solid arm around Harry's thin shoulders. "Which is exactly why I am taking you Harry. You're far too depressing lately."

The smaller man snorted before a grin tugged one corner of his mouth upwards in a soft smile. "Thanks."

###

"How about a drink before bed, Harry?"

The younger of the pair frowned as he tugged his bag up from the station floor and made his way behind the whistling Charlie. "I suppose… but isn't it a bit late?"

"This coming from the boy who was best known for avoiding curfew?"

"Point taken."

They made their way through the darkened village easily, Harry's knotted shoulders dropping with each empty street they passed. It seemed as though the dragons were all sleeping, or hidden away for the night. Harry sighed and shut his eyes, in the very near distance, just beyond the dark houses and smokey inns he could hear the gentle slosh of the ocean. Merlin, how he loved that sound.

"Come on, little brother," Charlie whispered with a smile, pushing Harry before him into the open archway of a small inn lit with soft lights. The smell of wine and the crackling of magic hit Harry so suddenly his knees buckled and he would have dropped in the middle of the pub had a strong hand not grasped his own arm.

He snapped his head upwards as magic curled around his arm almost possessively, his wide green eyes locking with a frosty blue gaze.

"My apologies, Myvi. I hadn't realised the place was still half full. Harry's newly turned, I'm afraid." Harry was aware of Charlie behind him, his large hand offering a calm support on his shoulder, yet he couldn't seem to bring himself to tear his gaze away from the woman called Myvi.

She was taller than he was, her arms strong but slender and her blonde hair cropped short. Her near flawless face was marked only by a single scar that ran across her nose and disrupted the freckles there. "H…Hello."

The blonde's frozen face broke in a small smile before she nodded and gently released his arm. She turned from him to take a seat once more beside the roaring fire, clearly alone. It sent a pang so close to sadness through Harry that he frowned. Why should he feel sadness for a woman alone? Why should he feel anything at all for a stranger?

He turned slowly towards Charlie's voice, his eyes reluctant to leave the tall form of Myvi as she ran pale fingers over the rim of the glass she clutched in her right hand. He shook his head with a growl. What was the matter with him?

"One drink, Charlie," he muttered as he made his way to the bar, "one drink then we're going to our rooms."

###

Myvi smirked as she watched the young Destined stumble his way up the staircase, the redheaded dominant behind him laughing at the state the youngling had gotten himself into.

Harry, wasn't that what Charlie had called him?

She knew of Charlie, the dominant that had yet to find a dragonette that suited him, and so it was safe to assume that Harry did not belong with him. Even safer to assume by the barely worked scent of his magic that Harry was unmarked by any Dragonette. For the first time in many years, Myvi was most disappointed that Baro had not finished his night-time walk earlier. She was certain he would have been most captivated by the little destined.

She smiled softly as she ran her fingertip over the glass rim, for once blind to the small scars that littered her hand as a sudden scent washed over her and a man poured himself into the armchair by her side. The inn was winding down now, its glowing lights dimmer and its fires crackling to nothing.

"What has you so happy, my dearest flower?"

The voice was dark, as thick as velvet in the dim lighting of the seating area. Black clad legs longer than her own crossed gracefully and a white-shirt clad torso, lean and slender, bent towards her curiously. Even sitting down, Baro towered above her. The youngling would barely reach his ribcage. The thought made her smile split further.

Pale fingers traced her chin softly, tilting it upwards until her gaze was forced to rest on eyes the shade of a violet sky. Dark eyebrows arched in amusement, his head tilted to the side and a cascade of scarlet curls falling down his front. She smiled softly, her jagged scar wrinkling where it met her lip.

"I've met someone."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**: Magic, because love is too simple a word

Harry awoke to sunshine. It lit his room with a soft glow, pre-morning yellow. The thin curtains had been pulled back by his own hands during the night, whilst he had been delirious enough to think such a wake up call would be a fantastic idea.

He groaned as he rolled to his side and from the ruffled sheets of the bed, his feet landing soundly and quietly on the floor. He stretched the length of his body as he moved to stand straight, his pale arms reaching above him in a feeble move to touch the high ceiling. With a huff of satisfaction, he shook his black curls from his face and blinked bleary emerald eyes towards the window.

Sounds were already beginning to clutter the small village so early in the morning. He heard shrieks of children racing back and forth and the jostle of clothing and supplies as people made their way from their homes and temporary rooms to find something to do with the day. He had begun to move towards the large window when the side door linking his own room to Charlie's was forced open and a child taller than Harry himself burst into the room.

The boy could have been no more than twelve, his boyish features still round and his blonde hair still silken from youth. He stared at Harry with large, blue eyes enhanced by the littering of small scales across his cheek bones. Harry loosened his grip on his wand when a soft grin was quirked in his direction.

"Dagda, you little brat!" Charlie cursed as he made his way into the room, fully dressed. He hauled the youth from where he stood over his shoulder, paying no mind to the young man's cry of indignation. "Didn't I tell you to knock and wait, not barge in on him?"

"I wanted to see the famous Harry Potter!" Dagda announced with a small laugh as Charlie heaved him further onto his shoulder. The boy's voice was a growl, low and sleek and distinctly inhuman and for reasons he could not comprehend, Harry edged away from it. Dagda caught the movement as he was placed back on his feet, his blue eyes narrowing curiously even as Charlie spoke.

"yes well, you've had your fun, so off with you and let Harry get dressed. So sorry, Harry, I haven't seen him and his mother in so long and they're old friends of mine. Had I any idea he'd grown into such an ass, I'd have woken you myself rather than sent him up."

Dagda snorted, stretching his arms above himself to show a dusting of scales across his lower abdomen. "Ass, perhaps, but I am a Dragonette, you'll have to forgive me my indecencies." he spoke the last to Harry, his tone older now than it had been only moments ago. "I'm young, still coping with changes and I do often forget to act human."

Harry licked his lips, shaking his head with a soft smile. "No problem."

Dagda offered him one final smile, before sticking his tongue out at Charlie childishly and all but sprinting from the room. Charlie growled before throwing an order at Harry to get dressed and taking off after the high-spirited Dagda.

###

"Shouldn't he at least be wearing padding?"

Harry flinched as he watched Dagda get thrown to the side, only to snarl and snap back his ivory-coloured wings before darting towards the other Dragonette once again.

"Hmm? Oh no, he's perfectly fine. They're only playing." Dagda's mother, Sibeal, was a submissive destined, with blonde locks as silken as her son's and a soft smile that set Harry at ease. She watched her son slice at the other boy with one razor-sharp wing with a small shake of her head. "It's one of the best ways to get rid of all that teenage steam, so to speak. Not to mention the fact that they're becoming young men and this is the first step to attracting attention, thus guaranteeing them their pick of mates.

Harry frowned, wincing as Dagda managed to leap bodily atop the other Dragonette and pin him to the ground by locking sharp teeth around the fallen creature's throat. He cast a wary glance around, searching for Charlie in case the two young dragons lost control, but the redhead was no where to be found. Harry had last seen him near an hour ago after Charlie had told him to stay by Sibeal and have fun in the crowded streets of Briha. All that surrounded him now were destined, mateships, frantic children and young dragonettes searching for a mate.

Harry shifted his gaze back to the small fighting circle the two friends had leaped into only minutes ago. The blue dragon let loose a whine of defeat before tossing Dagda off and shifting to his hybrid form as he got to his feet.

"No fair, Dagda," he pouted as he watched the blonde shake free of his own dragon-form, "You know that's my weak leg."

"All the more reason for you to work on perfecting that move," Dagda responded lazily, shifting his shoulders in an attempt to settle his wings once more against his spine. His facial scales crinkled in discomfort and Harry sighed and took pity on the boy.

"Hold still," he ordered as he made his way into the circle, "you've dislocated one of the top joints, I don't suppose there's a medic near?" Dagda grit his teeth. "In the time it takes to find one in these streets, I'll be a blubbering mess, just put it back, Harry, please."

Harry cast one swift glance towards Sibeal, whose frown had begun to draw down in worry, before snapping the joint back into place. Dagda let loose a yelp of pain, higher than his usual growl, before shrugging his shoulders in relief and casting Harry a small smile.

The smaller man sent Dagda from the soft circle in the stone path before taking a step forward himself, only for a jolt of electricity to spark against his spine. He froze at the invisible contact, his nose lifting to scent the air in a move that was purely instinctual and un-thought of. His eyes narrowed, scanning the crowd of faces around him. No features there perked his interest, nor could he find the eyes that matched such a wonderful spark of magic.

"Harry?"

Green eyes flickered upwards to meet blue. Charlie.

"Harry, are you alright?"

He opened his mouth to speak. Of course, he was alright. He had never in his life felt better. The magic that had just brushed against him had jolted his system, given him something to feel after so long of feeling nothing. He parted his lips as another jolt of magic wrapped around his shoulders, tugging him backwards. A soft whine escaped him.

Charlie's blue eyes seemed to darken, his own gaze darting up to search the crowd, before he took a step back. "Keep calm, Harry. Don't think so much about it and you'll find whoever it is you're looking for."

The green-eyed Gryffindor frowned, confusion evident even in the haze of contentment that surrounded him. He felt a body, much taller than his own press against his back, lean arms moving to wrap around his slender form. He arched into the embrace, all but purring as the scent and feel of the stranger's magic curled around his own, sparking against his own and forcing it to the surface.

A stranger… He didn't know this person… He shook his head, such thoughts shouldn't be a concern to him. He had found what he had craved after the war. Everything in this person's blood sang to him, warmth and loyalty and friendship. Everything he desired in one magnificent person.

He brought one pale hand to press against the arm around his chest and felt a soft sob break from his lips, only for the noise to be hushed by a gentle hum, a man's hum. He tilted back his head, his mouth slipping open as he was met with a pair of bright, violet eyes and a mass of scarlet hair that blocked out the other faces.

"Who…?"

The man's lips tilted into a warm smile, the scarlet scales of his throat as visible as a slash of blood. "My name is Baro, little one, and I was hoping you would give me the option of courting you… Beautiful submissive."

* * *

###

A/N: My apologies to those of you who wanted a dominant Harry, but you were outvoted and I do believe it will work out rather nicely this way. Thank you again to those of you who have reviewed and who are enjoying this story, it always makes me happy to see nice comments ^^ Happy readings!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Five: **A New Adventure, Because Surely It Can't Be A Trap**  
**

Harry scowled from where he sat.

Each question thrown in his direction was answered only by a snarl, his vocal chords and sarcasm seeming to have escaped him.

"Such aggression, one would think the little brute had just been kidnapped and thrown into a crate."

Harry hissed.

A throaty chuckle from directly behind him sent vibrations thrumming along his spine and he bowed back discreetly against the contact, his anger seeming almost childish. Fluttering green eyes snapped open and Harry reared forward once more, only for a pair of strong arms to hold him down in his seat on a stranger's lap.

Charlie shook his head from where the traitor sat in an armchair across from the pair, a small smile on his lips. "Really, Harry, I don't see why you're fighting so hard to get away from someone who you want. I don't know Baro personally, but Myvi is a fine, powerful dominant and any mateship she lands herself in can be said to be the same."

"Quite right, Charlie," The blonde Myvi sat beside Charlie, her dark eyes cast downwards and avoiding Harry's gaze even as her magic slid across him, wrapping him in a blanket of warmth. He felt his eyes slide shut once more, basking for one blissful moment in the solid comfort this strange pair were offering him. He hadn't felt such peace in a long, long time.

And why should he? His thoughts grew bitter even as their strange magic tried to comfort him, his mind playing scenes from his past that haunted him still. It was because of him that death came to those around him, it was because of him that family members were lost and nightmares terrorised his classmates. He felt his own magic prickle against his skin, a vain attempt to block against the harsher memories. He knew now that this was not his magic, but the magic gifted to him by a stubborn Horntail, a magic that had all but torn him apart when he had tried to reject Baro only moments before.

The Dragonette that gripped him so tightly made a noise as though in pain, his strong arms wrapping securely around Harry as wings unfolded softly from his back. Before the dark-haired Gryffindor could comprehend what had happened, he was entirely cocooned in a scaled hollow the colour of blood red. The wings shielded him entirely, cutting off the world so that nothing existed but the gentle breathing of the man behind him.

Were those wings always visible? Harry cocked his head to one side, a soft, curious noise leaving his mouth. Baro rumbled a soft laugh behind him. "Are you so fresh, submissive that you have never even seen a Dragonettte's wings up close? Have I snatched you from your cradle?"

The offended berate Harry intended to spit out never left his lips, instead a delicate snarl curled his upper lip. Words had abandoned him. Just as Charlie had explained, he had tried to run from something that his Destined side had deemed perfection, and he was paying the consequences by having to deal with the loss of some of his humanity, at least for a while.

Baro turned him suddenly in his lap, until wide green eyes met a slanted, violet gaze with a pupil so narrow, it almost wasn't there. Harry felt a blush creep along his neck, unable to look away. Baro was clearly more than a man. Where Dagda had been almost human- looking apart from the pale scales that littered his features, Baro was not. His gaze was that of a cat's, narrow apart from when something of interest captivated it and blew those slit-like pupils wide. His skin was a touch too pale, its strange warmth a sharp contrast against the icy whiteness. His blood red hair was a colour Harry had never seen on anyone and matched the horizontal slash of scales across his slender throat to perfection.

A quiet rumble had filled their small space and it took longer than he was willing to admit for Harry to realise that he was, in fact, purring. A deep, contented sound that lulled his inner turmoil and provoked an answering rumble from the dominant man his magic clung to so desperately.

"So rare is it, pretty submissive, for a bond to occur so suddenly and so deeply as the one that is now between us. I had only to see you from a distance to know that all that I could ever become, would never be enough without you by my side. Your magic clings to me still, so desperately that I can feel the pain in your thoughts. Such a bond should only exist after months of being together. My Myvi has been captivated by you ever since she has laid eyes on you. Why is it you fight something so natural, Harry?"

Baro's voice was exquisite, not the harsh growl of a possessive creature, but the low, silken tones of one lover to another, as thought intimacy lived in the Dragonette's very blood flow. Harry keened at the sound, a shrill cry that he was certain would have sounded desperate even if it had come in the form of babbling words. He had fought his entire life. Every step of his growing older he had fought possession. How could he willingly surrender to something he knew hardly nothing about?

And at the same time, how could he not?

How could he possibly keep fighting… Why should he keep fighting? He was done fighting, done protecting others; why not simply…give in?

A small snort of aggravation was the only sound that left Harry's lips before he let go of the demons that were holding him back and tilted his chin, baring his neck in a simple gesture of submission.

Baro let loose no growl of triumph, no winning laugh but instead a soft sigh of happiness before sharp teeth closed around Harry's throat in a soft, short bite of claim.

###

"McGonagall's gonna kill me."

"This is true."

Harry growled in aggravation, swatting the taller redhead on the head as Charlie bent to cast his luggage onto the train. The older Weasley boy laughed as he clutched Harry to his side and ruffled the black curls atop his friend's head. "Hey, if anyone's gonna get in trouble, it'll be me for allowing this. Paranoid old bat will probably think old Voldy's risen from the dead, donned a red wig and lured you into a trap."

Harry cast a sceptical glance towards where Baro stood, bidding goodbye to a friend of his own who had also come here by train. Myvi stood beside him, her slender arms crossed and a humoured eyebrow quirked in their direction. Clearly she had heard them.

Harry glanced back at Charlie with a twisted smile, one hand rising to tug at the lengthening curls nervously. "Do you think I'm making a mistake, Charlie?"

The redhead laughed as he boarded the platform. "Hell, Harry, I think this is the first decent move you've ever made for yourself. So what if you never come back to Hogwarts, Merlin knows you'll always be welcome there and you've already sat your exams. By wizarding standards, you should be out of school and forming your own life."

The older wizard bent down suddenly, his smile rueful as he leaned in to whisper in Harry's ear. "And by Dragonette standards a submissive like you should have been whipped up and knocked up years ago."

"Charlie!"

Harry's horrified hiss was cut off by the train's piercing whistle and the redhead slamming the carriage door shut with a wide smile. His head appeared only a moment later out a window, his eyes soft. "You've earned this, little brother. You've earned the right to dictate your life and I'll make sure no one in the family or at Hogwarts gives you grief." Harry laughed as the train began to move forward, his head shaking in amusement even as his knees began to knock together. "You'll let Ron and Mione know I'll see them soon and I'm alright? And you'll let Mum know that I'm coming back to her?

Charlie's roar was clearly heard over the chorus of goodbyes on the station.

"She'll be expecting a grandchild from you soon!"

And though Harry was quick to laughter at the thought, as soon as the train sped away and he was left only with the memory of that smiling redhead, the eighteen-year-old's knees buckled beneath him and he raised a hand to find his cheeks wet with tears.

###

He woke in a moving vehicle, so disorientated by the bright sunshine and the vibrations of the car that he yelped and whacked his head against the window. A moan of sympathy reached his ears as he clutched his throbbing skull and he opened one eye to find Myvi eyeing him critically, her hands twitching as though she wanted nothing more than to check his head for cuts.

"M'fine," he mumbled, sparing the taller woman a small smile. Myvi was a female who utterly enthralled him. In the few days he and Charlie had spent at Briha, Myvi had seen fit to drag the broader redhead into battle on more than one occasion, and she had always won. Her strength, she had whispered to Harry on the nights when the pair were alone and walking, lay not in the muscles but in the swiftness of her feet and the viciousness of her spirit.

She was a creature almost apart from her humanity, as though she had been a Dragonette clipped of its wings, though that was not the case. Myvi had simply been one of the fortunate ones to grow up in village in France lived in only by Dragonettes and their mateships. Born human and with five older brothers to prove her strength to, three of whom were Dragonettes, Myvi had sought out battle with a bitter old dragon miles from her home, and had survived to become a Destined.

It was as she told Harry this story that the blonde beauty had tapped the vicious scar that marred her features and winked with only the words "never wake a sleeping dragon" as warning.

Green eyes hazy with sleep blinked around the car, before landing on the driver. Baro. His dominant. A shiver raced up Harry's spine and he froze when Baro's violet gaze caught his in the rear-view mirror. The circular mark that graced Harry's neck pulsed once before he dragged his eyes away. Nothing but that first, heated kiss had passed between them, nor would anything until Harry had been completely exposed to the rest of Baro's mateship, or so the taller man had insinuated. It was, as Charlie had explained, Dragonette custom for an Intended Destined to meet all members of the mateship before they could be accepted completely.

Of course, Myvi had snorted at that and eyed Harry's mark obviously, stating only that one so quick to bond with both Baro and form an attachment to herself would have no problem blending it with the other two.

Not that Harry was as worried as perhaps he should have been about meeting the people he would, evidently, share a life with. Since that first kiss of acceptance, Harry's protests at falling for a stranger and perhaps racing headfirst into a trap had been feeble at best, and doused completely each time he would catch the eye of either of the dominant people he was now, after so short a time, beginning to view as his own. It was evidence enough of his complete trust in the pair that he had decided not to return to Hogwarts, but to return with Baro to a secluded town just north of the Scotland border. Or perhaps, he was really going mad.

"Where are we?"

"Almost home, Harry," Myvi's soft voice was quick to answer him, her mouth curving into a soft smile at the word home. "You slept from the moment we left Briha for quite some time, Baro and I have traded places driving twice now."

At Harry's worried frown, she offered a small smile, her hand reaching out to brush back his black curls in a way that he had become overly fond of. "Fear not, little one, it is only because of the sudden detachment from one you view as blood that you slept so long. Your magic is attempting to distance you from old ties so that you may form new ones."

"Distancing me?"

"Hush, Myvi," Baro's silken voice rose from the front seat, soothing Harry's sudden spike of panic, "You'll frighten him. She means not to say that you will become detached from your family , Harry, but rather that your heart will swell with the need to be filled with a new family as well as your previous one."

"Oh," Harry prodded the spot where he had smacked against the window, wincing slightly. "And don't call me, little one, Myvi, it sets my teeth on edge."

Myvi's laughter was every bit as big and attractive as she was, an endearing chuckle that made Harry grin. "Forgive me, Hary," she grinned as she glanced out the window at the passing countryside, nothing but green fields and towering hills, "it is only because you're smaller even than our Erin and he is indeed a small submissive."

"Erin?" Harry's attention peeked, his green eyes turning to lock with Baro's gaze as he flickered towards his in the mirror. "That's your other submissive's name? Erin. And what of the other dominant then? How come they didn't come to Briha?"

Baro let loose a throaty chuckle, his gaze returning to the road as they passed a sign welcoming them to a village Harry had never heard of.

"I told you before, Harry, your opinion of the two mates you have not yet met will not be painted by what Myvi and myself say. You will meet them shortly. All that I will tell you is that Erin could not travel for he is in the final stages of pregnancy and our dearest young dominant offered to stay with him and allow Myvi the chance to travel to Briha and battle to her heart's content."

Harry opened his mouth to demand more information, and was hushed when the car stopped suddenly and he fell face first into the cushioned headrest of the passenger seat.

He growled as he pushed himself upright, Baro's tilted smile following his actions in the mirror. "You did that on purpose."

Myvi snorted as she moved from the car, reaching her arms upwards until they let out a satisfying crack. "'Tis no fault of his that you chose to clamber over your safety belt and demand answers, green-eyes."

Harry would have answered her retort with one just as snarky, had his attention not suddenly been forced from the female dominant. The house they had parked in front of was a pristine white, though calling it a house was almost an insult. It was a manor, so beautifully clean and covered with vibrant green ivy that it almost shone. The windows of it had been cast open, meaning the house would be blessedly cool after so long being confined to a heated car under a bizarrely hot winter sun.

Other houses dotted the area, some large and some small enough to be considered barely a cottage and each of them was beautiful, though none so enchanting as this manor with its purple willows that marked the edges of its front garden.

Harry's mouth was open as Myvi pulled him from his seat, his eyes huge. He inhaled the scents of the willows as he passed, paying no mind to Myvi tugging him towards the manor like some half-witted child. He'd never smelled anything so sweet as those willows. Somewhere in his mind, he was aware of Myvi chuckling at him and snapped to attention.

The door of the manor had been swung open by Baro, his pale hands grasping his hips as he looked around the huge entrance-way in search of something. Harry frowned, his pulse picking up speed as Myvi shut the door behind them, leaving their luggage in the car for now and locking Harry into unknown territory. For the first time in his life, Harry took a step behind the taller female, half-hiding.

The something Baro had been waiting for occurred only seconds later when there was a sound much like a tray dropping to a wooden table and the soft scurrying of feet across floorboards. A man came rushing into the room, or, at least, Harry assumed it was a man, for he was dressed clearly in men's clothes and his face, though soft and young was definitely male. His stomach, however, was swollen with what could only be a child and his pale blonde hair twisted down to the backs of his legs in a loose plait.

He shrieked as he saw Baro, his blue eyes blowing wide and his legs rushing forward to propel him into the taller man's arms. Baro embraced him with a laugh, lifting him from his feet and cradling the swollen stomach between them so as not to do damage. "Oh, my Erin, my beautiful Erin how I've missed you."

And though he expected jealousy, though he expected to feel a pang of envy for this beautiful creature that Baro treasured so evidently, Harry did not. He watched the blonde smile as he was put back on his feet, his small hands wrapping around his stomach as he wrinkled his snub nose in amusement at what Baro was saying, and he was infatuated. Something in this small man glowed, as though no matter how hard one looked, they would never find a happier person.

Of course, it would be at that moment, when Harry was staring so obviously, that Erin would choose to turn and greet Myvi, his blue eyes immediately snapping towards where Harry was peering around Myvi's folded arms. Erin's smile vanished, his pale gaze full of questions as he stepped forward. Harry held still even as Myvi stepped aside, moving only to tilt his head back and keep eye contact when the blonde moved within breathing distance of him. A sliver of annoyance raced through him as he stared up into pale blue eyes. Was he taller than anybody anymore? Erin closed his eyes and inhaled, his lips breaking into a lazy grin as he pushed forth a tendril of magic, only for Harry's own magic to wrap prettily around his, like two lovers that had been too long apart.

Before the smaller submissive could protest, lips were against his own and Erin's soft, lazy grin was now pressing his mouth open enough to lick a delicate trace across his bottom lip. From not too far away, Harry's suddenly fogged mind heard a low growl of approval from Baro as he sank into the scent that was Erin.

"Damn it all Erin! You've left muffin mix scattered all over the table, how many times have I told you not to… Baro? Myvi?"

The kiss was broken by the aggravated tones of a new arrival into the huge room and Harry blinked, confused as Erin moved away and he was left looking across the hall into a pair of dark brown eyes. He could only stare.

"Theo," Erin purred, "come meet our new mate."

* * *

###

A/N: And there you are all of you who have been looking forward to an update, my apologies if some people aren't happy with me taking Harry from school buuuut... I've got better plans for him ^^ Thnak you to everyone who has reviewed and I hope this chapter is long enough until I can next update :P Happy readings!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six:** A Home, A Family, An Apple Pastry

Theo Nott.

Bewildered, bright-eyed, beautiful Theo Nott who stood not four feet from where Harry froze.

He was alive.

More than alive, he was living. His bronze curls were freshly combed, his shirt immaculately worn and his skin as soft as it was when he had cast Harry that unsure glance in the library all those years ago. His face was devoid of the tension that had pinched his strong features and as Harry stood, unsure of how to move forward, his wide eyes narrowed in curiosity and a flicker of magic struck out to push against Harry's own.

And it was incredible.

Harry's eyes flickered shut, his pink lips parting in a small 'o' of surprise as Theo's magic flickered against his own warily, coaxing it from his very skin and raising goosebumps along his arms. He could do little to help the small whimper that left his lips when Theo's magic drew back and he was left alone in his body.

"Theo?"

His voice was not his own. Never before had he heard a whisper so desperate and confused fall from his lips, as though his whole world had been interrupted and he could not grasp the reigns to pull it back in place. Had he been so certain of Theo's death in the back of his mind that the sight of him had rendered the Great Harry Potter incapable of thinking?

His nose wrinkled at his own thoughts, drawing a small smirk from the Slytherin that had haunted his thoughts for four years and his lip drew back in a small snarl, his body moving before he could even comprehend what it was he expected it to do.

The blow he struck to Theo's chest was wild and inexperienced but hard enough to force a grunt from the man.

"You!" Harry snarled, lashing again with a closed fist only to have the taller man grasp his wrist with one large, pale hand. "Four years I've had to live with the thought that you were dead and buried! Four years!"

Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him away from Theo's gaping face and against a strong chest. "Easy, little one." Myvi's voice breathed gently by his ear, the soft skin of her cheek brushing against his own and easing the rapid stuttering of his heart, "There is no need for such violence among us, whatever it is that Theo has done I am sure he will work to fix it. He is a good man."

And with those simple words, Harry's sudden flare of anger trickled out of existence, his body falling into the taller woman's embrace and his eyes filling with tears; stupid, unnecessary tears that broke in quiet sobs in his throat and made him feel smaller than he was, younger than he was and desperately lost.

"I didn't mean it," Harry whispered brokenly, his eyes bright but focused not on the people who now surrounded him, but on the faces of those he had lost in his life and in the war. For so long he had placed Theo's gentle face in with those memories, lost and forever gone from his grasp. He had believed beyond all doubt that he would never know why the boy had affected him so, nor why he had carried the assumed death of Theodore Nott like a widow would carry grief for a deceased husband. Theo had been a weight in his mind, another burden to carry for what he had done. To suddenly have that weight gone, lifted and replaced instead by the smallest sliver of hope, that left Harry horribly lost. "I didn't mean it..." he said again, though whether he was referring to his sudden outburst or all that had led up to the death of his greatest enemy, Harry himself did not know.

He was moved so swiftly and easily into Baro's outstretched arms and walked like a babe to a living room couch doused in the smell of lavender that he did not notice until gentle fingers carded through his black curls.

"Harry..." Theo breathed softly against his cheek, his pale fingers wiping away the tear tracks there with a mournful sigh. Harry watched him with wary eyes, his body pressed against Baro's in a manner he would have found humiliating had he been in the right state of mind. "Harry, I didn't know... I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."

Baro's skin flared with a gentle warmth beneath Harry's hands and he grasped onto it, seeking anything that would pull him from the cold nothingness of his memories and nightmares. He didn't blame Theo for not realising that a connection had occurred between them, Harry himself hadn't realised it until he had found himself searching through the bodies at Hogwarts for his face. He hadn't realised why such a connection had struck him so deeply until he had laid eyes on Theo again only moments ago. His magic strained against him in an attempt to seek the Slytherin. Much like the connection he had felt towards Myvi and Baro and even Erin the moment their magic had wrapped around his own, so was that same connection trying to establish itself with Theo, desperate for acceptance.

He watched Theo's pink lips move as the taller man spoke in low tones with Baro, his head shaking soft bronze strands of hair into his face as he attempted to think of when Harry had been marked, and why he had not seen the connection sooner. Baro's chest rumbled gently as he spoke in calm tones, his eyes soft as he placed a hand against Theo's cheek, smoothing a finger over the worried lines that had furrowed his brow. The words, Harry listened to idly, his magic settling to a gentle thrum and his eyes fluttering as he basked without knowing in the calm well of Baro's feelings and the unusual scents of the mateship. His mateship. His mates.

He let loose a soft thrill of happiness, a sound distinctly inhuman and purely emotional that halted the conversation and brought Theo's smiling face closer to his own to lay a gentle kiss on his forehead. Like with Erin only moments before, Theo's magic struck out to wrap around Harry's, stronger and harsher than the delicate dance between two submissive's and more similar to Myvi's captivating claim. With a sigh that left his lips parted, Harry's eyes fell shut and he drifted to sleep.

###

He awoke to the smell of cooked apples.

Stirring gently against the soft material of what could only be a couch, Harry inhaled and opened bleary eyes to seek out the cause of the scent with a sleep-addled brain.

"Mornin' beautiful! Well... evening really."

Green eyes snapped upwards, Harry's mouth parting with the realisation that it had not been cushions he was resting his head on, but another man's lap.

Erin stared down at him with blue eyes a thousand times brighter than Myvi's dark gaze, his pink lips stretched in a wide smile. Against the side of his face, Harry could feel the ruffled material of the blonde man's shirt stretched across his wide stomach.

"I suppose you're hungry, aren't you? Must be, you've slept a while and if you're anything like me I bet you're just dying for something sweet. How about an apple pastry, hmm? Or a cookie? Though I warn you, there may not be many of those left with the two food thieves over there."

"I resent that."

Harry snapped bewildered eyes from his fellow submissive towards where the voice had come from, his mouth quirking in a small smile despite himself when his gaze met a pair of curious brown eyes.

"Theo."

The man moved from his seat with ease, resting gentle fingers against Erin's arm as he crouched before the smaller man still lying down. "How are you, Harry?"

"Happy." The answer left his lips before he could think on it, its simple truth making him smile despite the strangeness of his situation. He grinned at the Slytherin he had barely known and placed a tentative hand against the pregnant bump as Erin reached beside them for the pastries. Harry let loose something akin to a strangled laugh, his head shaking in disbelief, "I'm happy."

"Good to hear it, little one." Myvi ruffled his hair fondly as she took the plate of baked goods from Erin's unsteady grasp, easing into the couch by Harry's feet and leaving Theo to remain seated on the floor, his head pressed against her legs. "Baro was indeed worried when you drifted off so suddenly, but Erin convinced him to simply let you sleep rather than be subject to the village doctor. As lovely a man as he is, he tends to get... overexcited."

Theo snorted from where he sat, his eyes following Harry as the smallest and possibly final member of their mateship moved to sit up slowly, his arm leaning against Erin's in an almost subconscious gesture. "Overexcited? The man's a bloody nuisance. Good at his job, I'll give him that but never have I heard someone to talk about so much in so little time."

"You'll be glad of mister Perrioh when he's the one dealing with me in labour, Theo," Erin gentle voice was laden with threat, "or would you rather I tell him how highly you think of him and have you deliver the baby, hmm?"

Theo's brown eyes narrowed in a half-hearted glare, "no, Erin, pet, he's a wonderful man."

Erin nodded primly as he snatched an apple pastry from the plate Myvi held aloft, offering it to Harry with a small smile. "Forgive the craziness, beautiful, I've no doubt the house will be wild for a tad in an attempt to show off but I'll keep those silly dominants in their places."

Harry could do little but smile weakly and accept the treat, tearing off little pieces that he bit into softly. Erin may have been odd to his senses but his magic was so alike Harry's own streak of Destined power that he all but gravitated towards the blonde, smiling each time Erin smiled and laughing until the pit of nerves that had wriggled in his stomach dissolved into nothing. He could scarcely believe that only days ago he had never in his life met two of these people and had barely spoken to the third. It felt as though his entire life from the moment he had defeated Voldemort had been waiting for this moment right now where he sat comfortably between Myvi and Erin, Theo's hand resting on his knee. But it had been before Voldemort's defeat that he had craved this, he now knew, ever since he was fourteen and had faced that first Triwizard tournament task.

He owed that Hungarian Horntail every ounce of happiness he now felt.

Later, when the sky had darkened to black and Baro had returned from filing Harry's name with the rest of his mateship in the Centre Hall of the village, Myvi took the sudden lull of silence to hunt Theo towards the back of the manor for exercise and defence techniques. Harry sat with his back against the arm of the couch, his legs kicked up and Erin's humming form between them as he brushed out his impressive length of blonde hair. The green eyed submissive watched Baro as the man slept peacefully in a nearby armchair, his blood red curls spilling down his front and rising softly with each indrawn breath.

"Erin?"

"Hmm?"

"Why does the link I feel to Myvi feel different to the link between myself and you or Theo?"

"Ah," Erin's soft lips lifted in a smile as he cast a sly glance towards Baro's sleeping form and dropped his brush neatly to the floor. He tilted his head to look back Harry, his blue eyes incredibly pale in the overhead lamp light.

"Dragonette magic works in the most incredible ways Harry. When you connected with Baro, it was because he was what you needed. Baro was what you craved, a home, a family, happiness and love. That's what he offered you and your magic could not say no. When Myvi linked with Baro, she did not want to be coddled. She did not want to be a mother or a maid or a wife. Myvi is a warrior, through and through, and, in my opinion, she's no more human than Baro himself is. She should have been a Dragonette...

When she met Baro, she wanted a chance to prove herself. She wanted something to protect and to fight for. Something to love, yes, but her link is different Harry because she desires something different from you than myself and Theo. Where we desire the ordinary notions of love and companionship and family, she desires only that you need her to protect you and stand guard."

"So..." Harry began slowly, his brow furrowing in thought. "You're telling me that Myvi will never form a bond with us like the one between a husband and wife, a..."

"A sexual bond, Harry," Erin's bright eyes glittered with humour. "Myvi is not sexual, she doesn't desire sex or a child or anything most dominants crave. She's a different breed altogether but she will love you unconditionally for it. Myvi would lay down her life for us, much like Baro, though where he will see our deaths as a loss to mourn; she will see them as a failure to us. She is our protector, our guardian."

Harry's fingers stilled where they had been threading subconsciously through Erin's pale hair, his eyes narrowed in thought. "That's... sort of nice..."

Erin's laugh was a delicate snort, filled with humour and wrinkling his snub nose. "Well, yes, everything about a mateship is sort of nice, beautiful. You'll never find a family more connected and willing to love each other than a Dragonette circle. I do often wish Myvi would have a good old romp though, instead of taking out her pent up energy on that stupid battle room."

"Battle room?"

"Yes, the room they've gone off to now." Erin cast a pointed glare in the direction the two dominants had headed, his small hands dipping down to rest on his bump. "They train everyday, as though there's something they have to be ready for, a fight that hasn't ended yet. I know it's so they can be strong and quick to defend us but it creeps me out." A small shiver raced down the submissive's slender form, his eyes drifting towards where Baro rested and his lips drawing up in a soft smile. "I'm so glad he brought you home..."

Harry had been staring at the bump beneath Erin's laced fingers, his thoughts not on battle, but on how it would feel to step aside and have someone else fight for you. He'd never have considered the notion before. He rested his cheek slowly against Erin's own, his movements hesitant. "So am I."

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry this is so late I've been concentrating more on finishing up college assessments but I'm all sorted now and finsihed for summer so I will do my best to get this up and running again! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and hopefully this chapter answers a few more questions :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Seven:** Meet the Family, well... Part of it

"PUT ME DOWN!"

The scream echoed through the manor halls, loud and harsh and filled with all the anger of a teenager dragged from a mid-afternoon nap.

"You know," Erin paused where he stood against the wooden dining table, one fork pressed to his lips in thought, "it's rather like having two demented children..."

Myvi grinned wryly in passing, her blonde head shaking slowly as she took the cutlery from his hands and moved to set the places for dinner. "Harry has every right to be mad at Theo, he should have waited until Baro came home and let our Dragonette deal with the little one."

"I don't think he likes that name all that much.." Erin dipped a slender finger into the pot cooling by the stove, sucking the soup from the appendage with a testing wrinkle to his nose. "I don't blame him, really... You remember the first time Baro wanted me to meet another Dragonette? Even if it is his brother, it's mighty scary and Harry's only been living with us a week."

Myvi sighed at the loud yelp that sounded in the hallway followed swiftly by a pair of feet pounding their way back upstairs. True, freshly mated submissives were more inclined to run from a strange Dragonette than embrace them as family, but it had not taken Erin long to warm up to the man and she was certain Harry would soon realise that he was not a threat, despite what his instincts told him. She growled at the aggravated growl that came from Theo as he made his way into the kitchen/dining area, her eyes narrowing. "Leave him be, Theo, you know well that the prospect of meeting another Dragonette so soon will not sit well with him, shame on you for trying to force him down."

"He's Harry Potter!" Theo's mouth drew in a thin line, "he isn't afraid of anything!- ah!"

The dominant gasped as a wooden spoon was brought down sharply on his head, Erin's glowering face inches from his own. "Less of that, Theodore. He's not Harry Potter, nor is he an idol with no faults, he is our mate and his instincts have just begun to suffer with his connection to us. Get up there and apologise. Go on!"

Erin brandished the spoon threateningly until the taller man had hurried from the room, his shoulders hunched in remorse. The pregnant blonde cast a triumphant smile in Myvi's direction, before returning once more to the sauce still cooking on the back burner.

###

"Harry?"

A low growl in warning was his only answer as Theo rapped gently on the door that led to Harry's private space. The brown eyed man sighed, his back turning to lean against the solid panel of wood.

"Harry, I really am sorry. I shouldn't have lifted you and I shouldn't have tried to force you to come downstairs. You have nothing to fear from Baro's brother but I should have known how close to the surface your primal magic was, I hadn't realised your fear was genuine. I apologise."

Silence was all that greeted him, a sullen silence that he was sure would slowly eat away at him. He could only be thankful he was not on the other side of the door he now leaned against to receive the full wrath of Harry's glare. Sweet as Potter had turned out to be with the flow of submissive dragon magic to steer his growth, he was still a powerful wizard and one Theo would prefer not to be on the wrong side of.

"If it makes you feel any better, Erin hit me."

A low mumble, too low to gather what it was the smaller man was saying.

"What?" Theo inched closer to the door, his face turned to press his ear against the wood.

"He should have hit you harder."

The former Slytherin huffed a dry laugh, his mouth splitting in a small smile. "Please open the door, Harry. I want to apologise."

The door was opened slowly, warily, with suspicious green eyes peering at him from the six inch gap he made. "You already apologised."

Theo stared down at the man he had known only as a boy, his eyes fixing not on the soft features and overall subtle beauty of the Gryffindor, but on the way his cheeks looked far too thin, on the circles that gathered almost invisibly beneath his eyes and on the wary set of his mouth that seemed such a permanent feature, it was almost shocking to see him smile with ease.

He bent forward slowly, his eyes never leaving Harry's green gaze until he had pressed his mouth against the submissive's and those bright green eyes fluttered closed. The smaller man's lips had gone slack, his hand dropping from where it held the door. Theo smiled gently against their first kiss, his hands rising to capture Harry's hips and his mouth opening to capture Harry's bottom lip gently. He didn't stop until the skin beneath his hands had grown hot to touch and the submissive's cheeks were a brilliant pink as he pulled away.

"That is how one apologises in this family, Harry."

###

He watched him from the upstairs landing, carefully concealed behind the intricate wooden panelling but with a clear view of the front hall, a hall which now contained Baro, Erin, Myvi, Theo and a stranger who, for reasons he didn't quite understand, made Harry uncertain.

The stranger was Baro's brother, Murenn. He knew that this was Baro's younger brother, a man who had gone abroad in an attempt to seek a connection and start a family, yet he had not. He had returned only days ago to a village not far from their own and, once learning of Baro's newest member, had begged his brother to be the first in the family to greet the submissive.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he watched Murenn ruffle Erin's loose locks and place a gentle hand on his swollen stomach, only for the blonde to laugh as he always did when something was said of his pregnancy and the impending baby.

That was something Harry had yet to dwell on, so preoccupied had he been on fitting in and learning the manners and familiar ticks of everyone in the house that he had not spared much time to the thought that there would soon be a baby among them. A baby which Erin insisted was also his and would grow to love him as it would his guard, Myvi, his sire, Baro and his father, Theo. Erin had, in passing, called him the second mother, stilling Harry from whatever he had been doing at that moment.

A mother. Was that how Erin saw himself? A wife and a caregiver... Seeing how happy the man was on a near constant basis, Harry couldn't bring himself to believe the notion that being simply a mother would never be enough for him. Erin was content in a way he had only ever seen once, in Fleur when she was having her first child.

He would hardly call himself a Mummy though, papa, perhaps and he would love any child he carried as much as his own mother had loved him, but to actually consider his stomach swollen with child... it was a thought for which he had no answer to yet. He placed a considering hand on his own, flat stomach, before his eyes strayed once more to Erin's smiling face, his blue eyes twinkling as he pushed Murenn playfully towards the dining room.

"Brooding, my Harry?"

Harry yelped, his hands lifting to brace against the railing as Baro's strong arms suddenly enfolded him from behind, lifting him into standing position and above the hidden safety of the panel. His green eyes widened, his cheeks flushed as Baro drew him up again and carried him down the set of stairs. Panicked, he struggled against the Dragonette who rumbled gently, a soft endearment that everything was alright.

Though he stilled in the grasp, Harry's heart beat painfully against his chest as he aws brought face to face with the Dragonette he did not know. Murenn's red hair was a shade darker than his brother's, sleek but not nearly as pretty and his eyes were a dark brown, near black in the dimly lit hall of the manor.

Harry watched him with wary eyes, his lips pinched in suspicion and his magic flickering against his skin, prevented from lashing out only by Baro's own unique essence binding it gently in place. Murenn watched him, his brown eyes darting from green to violet before a wide smile split his sun-darkened face.

"He's beautiful."

"He most certainly is not," Harry snarled, wriggling from Baro's strong arms to drop into a crouch and slink behind Theo's laughing form "and his name is Harry."

Murenn hid a smile skilfully, his expression modest. He bowed gently towards where Harry stood, the submissive's arms crossed stubbornly across his chest. "My apologies, dearest Harry. I did not mean to offend you but, if you may, you are indeed very beautiful. My brother is a lucky man."

At a loss for what to do, Harry chose to offer the man one perplexed glance before turning on his heel and striding towards the dining room, ignoring Erin as the blonde raced beside him, his eyes bright with laughter.

###

"So, Harry, tell me about yourself?"

Harry froze where he sat by Myvi's right side, his spoon of ice cream raised halfway to his mouth before he sighed and lowered it back down. "I'm a wizard, I guess I've graduated from Hogwarts and there's nothing much to tell that the Prophet hasn't already had a say on to be honest."

Murenn snorted in humour, his easy smile had been growing on Harry throughout their meal, easing the smaller man's discomfort. Despite what his instincts had first told him, he felt at ease with Murenn, like he would with Hermione and Ron. The man had potential to become a good friend. "I never did read newspapers, no attention span for the print."

Harry grinned as he spooned another mouthful of ice cream into his mouth. "You're probably better off if you don't."

"So, Harry, dearest," Erin announced suddenly into the silence, his spoon clattering into his empty bowl and his hands drifting to his bump in a way that had become familiar. "What opinion have you for me on names?"

"Names?" Harry frowned, confused for a moment before Erin pointed dramatically to his swollen stomach and it clicked. "Oh! Oh, names, oh right..." He placed his spoon down with a sudden frown on his brow. "But isn't it up to the mother and father to name the baby?"

He jumped at the round of well-mannered chuckling he question brought on, his gaze turning to Baro in confusion. "No, Harry," Baro rumbled softly from his other side, his hand reaching out to card through Harry's lengthening curls. "It is up to the entire mateship to name a baby. Who carried the child and who sired it has no more rights than a bond mate brought in hours before the baby's birth. Of course, the mother will always feel a special connection to their own children, it does not mean they will love the children of other submissive's any less. It is equal."

"meaning," Erin put in with a smile, "that we take everyone's names into account and whichever fits, is given to the babe. Myvi gave us only a girl's name, Bea, because she doesn't believe it's a boy. Theo, gave the names Annabelle and Rossell, named for his ancestors of course. Baro quite likes the name Dara for both, though he's not averse to Annabelle and my own are Harrison and Tegwyn, for my dear grandmother. Any idea?"

Harry blinked, his eyes travelling to the obvious bump beneath Erin's jumper. "I've never really thought about it, to be honest... But I suppose if I ever had children I would have named them for my mother and father, Lily and James. It seems the most sincere way to honour their memory."

"Lily," Erin breathed as though he'd struck gold, his eyes narrowing suddenly. "I didn't even think on flowers, how could I not think of flowers?"

"Your head's always in the clouds, you never see the flowers."

"I am not averse to climbing over this table and smacking you, Theodore."

"If I recall correctly, the last time you were on this table, Erin, it was Theo who was doing the... smacking."

Harry turned wide eyes on Baro's suddenly heated gaze, his cheeks flooding with colour at the implication of those words. Theo grinned ferally from where he sat beside Murenn, winking slowly when Harry's green gaze caught his own.

"You know, I do believe that's how the one on its way was conceived..."

"Right!" Mureen stood with a laugh, "that's me on my way home!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Eight:** Counting Down To Something Unexpected

Two weeks.

He had spent two wonderful weeks with his new family so far. Fourteen days filled with baking, cleaning, training, playing and getting to know those he would spend the rest of his life with. Thirteen nights spent sleeping against luxurious sheets, seven nights waking to find a restless Erin having snuck beneath his bedsheets with him.

He had received two owls from Hermione and Ron, both cheering for him and asking for updates. One owl from Mrs. Weasley and the family asking him to stay safe and one surprise visit from Charlie through Baro's gentle tweaking of their own floo network. Should he ever long for the Weasley family, they were now only one step away.

He ran fingers through his combed hair for the eighth time, watching the twenty-seventh rain drop fall from the wooden panelling to land against the outside pane of glass on one of the six sitting room windows. He had spent four hours here, perching himself upon the sill when Baro had left for work at half nine that morning. His Dragonette worked whenever he was called upon, though never if he thought it might inconvenience his mates, to settle battles between other Dragonettes or to help Destined who were unhappy. One call from the Centre Hall and the panel of Dragonettes who resided there each afternoon was all it took for Baro to be on his way. Harry doubted he would ever desire to be a victim of the punishments Baro saw fit to deal out to unfit Dragonettes.

"Harry, beautiful, as much as I enjoy watching you sitting on the window sills, wouldn't you rather do something more fun? We could bake?"

"We've made twenty seven cookies, twelve apple pastries and two chocolate cakes in the past seven days, Erin, there's only so many baked goods a family can handle before one of us explodes." The words were said in humour, Harry's tongue poking between his lips in jest when he turned to face the indignant blonde.

"I'll have you know, a family who bakes their own treats will never be fat, especially not on my recipes. And do stop it with that blasted counting, it's freaking me out…"

Harry snorted, heaving himself down from his perch with a sigh. "I can't help it, I never used to do it before but I can't seem to stop myself seeing everything in numbers… It's like… if I don't have the control to count it then something will go wrong."

"You need to get laid, that's what you need. You and your blasted numbers…"

"Erin!"

"Well it's true!" Erin let loose a peal of laughter when Harry struck his arm playfully, dropping himself heavily into the padded armchair that still smelled of Baro. He groaned and rubbed his ever expanding stomach slowly. "You need sex and I need to get this monster out of me… Get out! Get out, do you hear me!"

"Very effective, Erin," Harry drew Erin's pale hair away from his body, frowning at the sweat that had erupted on the taller submissive's neck. He braided it slowly as Erin puffed, his cheeks a bright pink as he clasped his stomach with gentle hands. "Erin… are you sure you're alright?"

Erin waved a careless hand, his smile swift, "I told you this morning not to fret didn't I? Myvi said pains like this are normal around the end of a pregnancy, false labour pains. Far too early to be the real thing, I'm not due for another three weeks and Perrioh's away on some mission in Germany. I'll be right as rain as soon as she and Theo get back from Diagon with the pain reliever potions. In fact… they left by floo almost twenty minutes ago, surely they should be back by now?"

"Perhaps they've spotted something for the baby and got caught up in the browsing?" Harry shrugged his shoulders helplessly as Erin grunted, pinning his mate's hair up to keep the weight off his heated back. "You know how awful Theo gets around shopping and Myvi's gotten oddly compliant with his obsession in the last few days. Perhaps they're buying you something together for the baby? Erin?"

Harry gripped the man's shoulders as Erin suddenly bent forward, his grunt of surprise swiftly becoming a pained cry of alarm as he clutched at his stomach with trembling hands and heaved in breath after gasping breath. "Erin!"

Frightened blue eyes met his seconds before Erin's pale hand reached out and grasped his own, dragging Harry down to his level. "This baby is coming now."

Green eyes blew wide, his startled stare going to the bump as though he would be able to see the baby through it. "They can't! It's too early, Erin, what do I do?" Gone was his abrupt fascination with control and counting, leaving Harry alone in the sudden flurry his mind had dived into.

Erin let loose another strangled cry, his head shaking wildly. "Early or not, this kid's comin'. Okay, Harry, I need your help… You need to get me upstairs to the Birthing room, the yellow one, remember? At the far end of the hall? It's the only room prepped in the house."

Harry nodded frantically, his heart hammering an unsteady rhythm in his chest as he hefted Erin's trembling form from the couch, grasping his mate's back and pulling Erin's left arm over his shoulder. He could do this, he was strong. Focus, a task, he could finish a task. All he had to do was get Erin to the birthing room and…

And what? He winced as Erin stopped halfway up the stairs to bend and clutch at his stomach once more, his usually pale face now red from the rapid pace of his breathing. What in Merlin's name would they do? Theo and Myvi were beyond reach and Harry had no idea what time they would return or whether they had been versed in the ways of birthing a child. Would they even be of any use to him? He needed Baro. He needed to find Baro and bring him home.

Harry half-carried his groaning mate to the bed of the Birthing room, a bed dressed in clinical, sterile sheets with black-out curtains across the only window to ward away the weak winter daylight. He stripped Erin easily of his shirt, no time now to admire the body of his mate, a sight he had never seen before. He doused white towels in the sink by the bed, cold water that eased the pink in Erin's cheeks and brought some semblance of a smile to Erin's face. "I need to get Baro."

Erin's hand gripped his own when he made to move, pale blue eyes widening as he turned back. "Don't leave me alone…"

Harry couldn't help the small whimper of pity and sympathy that left his lips, his fingers carding through Erin's loose curls before he laid his palms flat against Erin's swollen bump. It trembled beneath his fingers. "I don't know what I'm doing, Erin… Nobody prepped me for this, nobody even told me how it happens… I don't even know if I have to cut or… Where the hell does it come out!"

Despite his pained pants, Erinn snorted a weak laugh, his nose wrinkling in humour. "Gods, remind me to give you a lesson in biology, beautiful, will you? It comes out the same place the daddy's part of it got in, Harry, is that clear enough for you?"

Green eyes darted to the white trousers Erin was wearing, his mouth parting in disbelief. For the first time he noticed those trousers were doused in clear liquid and Harry would put money on Baro's favourite seat now being ruined by Erin's broken water.

"Bloody hell!"

He tugged the button loose with swift fingers, offering a quick apology to Erin before he pulled the rest of his clothes off and discarded them in a pile on the floor. His mate lay spread across the bed, pale thighs parted to reveal all of him to the room and to Harry. Despite the situation and despite a logical voice in his head shouting that he should be checking to see how far along Erin was, Harry felt his head tilt to the side in dazed curiosity.

Erin glanced down at him from where he lay only to erupt into hearty chuckles, his head shaking in disbelief. "Now?" he panted through his gulping breaths and dry laughter, "now, you choose to show an interest. Merlin, you've got some timing."

Harry's cheeks blossomed pink, his lips drawing in a soft grimace as he moved to place a hand against Erin's stomach. The bump almost looked as though it had dropped and from the sudden cry of pain his mate let loose, Harry was sure the baby was only hours away. Did Dragonette labours go faster than normal labours? What was the normal waiting time for a human child and mother? He couldn't remember… He doubted if he ever even knew and cursed himself for not taking more of an interest in Erin's pregnancy. "Erin… I'm sorry…"

"Shhh…" Erin breathed deeply through his nose, his brow furrowed and his hand rising to twine his fingers with Harry's own. "You're here.. Just don't leave me and I'll be okay. It'll all be okay…"

"I won't leave, Erin… I'm right here." Harry placed a cooler towel against Erin's forehead and fixed a worried glance upon the clock fixed above the window. Someone… Anyone had better come home soon.

###

Baro returned home earlier than expected, not yet six hours from the time he had left his manor. He entered the main hall with a smile, before his ear cocked in confusion. Always, his house was full with the sounds of his family and yet, now, it was silent. His mouth drew straight in wariness, his ears perked for any sound.

A shriek, loud and piercing and dissolved to inhuman tones.

Erin.

He raced towards the source of the cry with his wings partially unfolded from his spine, his teeth bared and his mind certain that his precious submissives were under attack.

What he dove in on was a bare Erin wailing in distress against the birthing bed as he pushed. Harry's small hand was grasped in his own, the smaller submissive blind to all but his mate's pain and his green eyes glossy with tears. He raised a petrified face in surprise when Baro moved past him, the Dragonette's large hand reaching down to cup Erin's pinched face gently.

Blue eyes fluttered open and the man offered the barest of smiles, before another shriek of pain was pulled from his mouth and he bore down one more, Harry's pale hand lowered between the blonde's legs and rigidly stiff, as though everything counted on him having a steady hand.

Baro could only watch as Erin let loose one last piercing wail before the white sheets were doused in something fluid and pink and Harry darted forward to catch the body of a tiny baby before it could fall into the mess. He raised it up with gentle arms with something akin to disbelief in his eyes, his green gaze wide and showing far too much white to be healthy. He held enough strength to pass the now shrieking infant to its mother before his legs gave out and he found himself on the floor.

Baro crooned softly, his face a bright smile as he moved to hoist his smallest mate into an armchair and kiss his forehead proudly before he turned back to Erin's panting form. The blonde was exhausted, his body slick with sweat but his face split with the largest smile as he clutched the screaming baby close and chirped softly until the child blinked blearily up at him. He cast wide eyes on Baro, his smile growing wider as his Dragonette laid a kiss to his cheek and stroked a pale finger down the flurry of tiny red scales that littered his newly born son's cheek and right temple.

"A Dragonette, which name do you suppose fits such a strong first son, my Erin?"

"That's the bloody easy part," Erin laughed, pulling gently on the scarlet wings of his infant to stretch the new muscle. "His name is James, for Harry."

Suddenly met with the thankful blue gaze that was Erin's and Baro's proud smile, Harry dropped his eyes to the boy he had helped deliver and dissolved into tears. It was to this hysterical scene that both Theo and Myvi walked in on, their mouths parted in shock and the cardboard box of a disassembled cot between them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine**: An Upcoming Event And... A Jar Of... What?

Harry lay on the couch of the living room, his head resting on the small bump Erin now possessed. The creature that had caused that bump to be so prominent only days before lay on his back on a fleece blanket on the floor by the couch, his little mouth gurgling tiny bubbles as he tried to grasp the fingers Harry trailed idly down his cheek.

"He's so much more aware than I thought he'd be," Harry whispered the words, careful not to wake Erin's gently snoring form from his sleep. Theo peered over the top of the novel he had been reading, his brown eyes warm as the baby turned its round head to the side to peer at him curiously, his violet eyes bright and wide, like his Sire when excited.

He hefted himself from the chair with ease, plonking down beside James as the little thing kicked out his plump legs and the scales of his face crinkled in a wrinkled pout. "Dragonette's are not human, Harry. A Dragonette baby will be born bigger and with motor skills normal newborns simply don't have. In a month's time he'll be the equivalent of a one year old baby, his growth not slowing down to normal rates until the age of ten at the latest. It's around four years after that that they begin to slow. Where he may grow quickly now, by the time he's fourteen it'll take another ten years after that until he's considered a fully matured adult capable of taking care of himself."

Harry grinned softly, carding a hand through the baby's manic blonde hair. "Such a pretty baby..."

James wrinkled his nose in a soft gesture of agreement, his little wings stretching only the slightest before pulling back in. Harry rubbed the littering of red scales gently, a shade brighter than Baro's though they would be of no use to him for flight until he had passed puberty. Harry watched Theo lift the infant as it gurgled nonsensical noises, his brown gaze lifting to look at something beyond the couch with a small smile as he stood and quickly left the room.

Harry raised a wrinkled brow, his mouth open in a ready demand to bring James back when arms gripped him suddenly, lifting him off of Erin with only a grunt of surprise from the dark haired submissive. He was settled in a lap that was becoming embarrassingly familiar, red wings flaring about them until they had been cocooned in their own nest and he was forced to remain only inches from the Dragonette. "Baro..."

"Hello, my Harry."

Harry sank happily into that scent, his fingers playing idly with the strands of red hair that fell around him. "Baro?"

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry's brow furrowed in thought, shifting marginally in the man's lap before he raised cautious eyes to meet Baro's purple gaze. His black pupils were wider than they often were, his pale hands a distraction as they moved to capture Harry's hips and place him more securely on his lap. "Em... I was wondering..."

The submissive trailed off as something brushed against him suddenly, something rather hard. His eyes snapped up to Baro, his cheeks flooding with colour as the Dragonette narrowed his gaze and smirked softly. "Yes, eh..." Harry's voice seemed higher to his ears, his eyes staying forward and his mind refusing to acknowledge the very real bulge now pressed against his inside thigh. "Well... I was wondering if the Weasley's could... Oh Merlin..."

Harry's eyes fluttered suddenly, his hands reaching out to grip Baro's shoulders as his Dragonette shifted slowly once more to press that hardness firmly between Harry's thighs. His only response was a whimper, his head bending forward to lean against Baro's neck as the hands that gripped his hips clutched tighter.

"If the Weasley's could what, my Harry?"

Baro's voice was a silken purr, his chest rumbling against Harry's and his hands lifting the submissive's shirt to trail hot fingers up his sides. Harry let loose a strangled gasp as his hips rose once more, his mouth trying to form around the words he needed. "If... If they... can they... the b-baby?"

"Can they see the baby?" Baro's supplied easily, his nails tracing delicate patterns over the submissive's body and deftly loosening the button of his pants. Harry keened as a warm hand was suddenly around him, cupping him and squeezing gently. His lips broke apart in a soft cry, his nod one that was barely visible amidst his trembling.

"Well of course they can, beloved. I'll throw a party for little James and all of your family are most welcome."

Harry hardly heard him, his eyes fluttering with each upward stroke of Baro's heated palm. His lips had parted wetly, his throat releasing one continuous cry after the other against his better judgement. But he didn't care anymore who heard, he didn't care anymore what he sounded like and he didn't care to wait anymore.

"Baro..." The sound was a whine, more noise than word and full of need. "Please..."

The Dragonette growled, a low familiar rumbling that danced down Harry's spine and brought him ever closer to the edge. "Please..."

He was lifted so suddenly and swiftly, it almost went unnoticed, Baro's grasp around him tightening as he carried Harry from the living room to the stairs. Harry lifted his brow from his Dragonette's shoulder as they moved, his last view that of Erin grinning at him from the cushioned couch that had become their perch.

###

Drowning.

Harry was drowning.

The scent of his Dragonette surrounded him, encased him, wrapped him in such a warm delicious happiness that he could not move. He was buried beneath it all, unwilling to swim even if it meant losing himself to everything. Warm hands ran against his bare skin, drawing moans from somewhere. Moans from him. He was moaning. He was writhing against the silken sheets of Baro's bed and he was moaning.

These hands were different, cooler, not taking away but enhancing the delicious burn that wanted to eat him from the inside out. The scent that followed them was one he knew instinctively, his dominant. His Theo. He purred into the gentle massage, running lazy fingers through his soft curls and trying to draw the man down, down against him.

He was most certainly not in his right mind.

But he didn't care, he wanted only what his mates could give to him and he was damned if he was opening his eyes lest this turn out to be some sort of tormenting dream.

"You have knocked him senseless."

A rumbling laugh to his right, before larger hands drew his face away from the satiny pillow cases and soft fingers fluttered over his eyelids. "I've come to the conclusion that he believes last night to be a dream. He's refused to open his eyes all morning and each time I attempt to leave the bed he wails. Perhaps you could occupy him while I begin breakfast, my Theo?"

"I'd be more than happy to." A seductive growl that arched his spine and a playful nip to his already bitten neck that caused a keen to fall from his lips and his hips to rise from the bed despite the gentle throbbing in his lower back. "My my, little lion... How utterly ravishing you look..."

He opened his eyes at that, his pupils dilated as he stared dazedly up at the former Slytherin. Theo was devoid of his clothing. Theo was on top of him, running hands down his bare sides and casting a secretive little smile just for him. He wrapped slender arms around the brown-eyed man, his gaze becoming lidded as he pushed his hips forward to brush against his dominant.

"Mine."

Theo's bright eyes darkened, his nails digging into the skin of Harry's thighs gently and His mouth parting in a subtle smirk. "Oh am I now? Well... Then I suppose I shouldn't keep you wanting, should I, Golden Boy?"

Harry's lips parted in a delicate growl and his eyes fluttered shut.

###

Harry was sore.

Merlin he'd never make it down those stairs.

He moaned pathetically where he stood, at the top of the long staircase wrapped in pyjama bottoms and Theo's knit jumper. A dry chuckle sounded behind him before he was picked up gently, tucked into pale arms much like the way he had carried James only yesterday. He breathed deeply through his nose before offering Myvi a grateful smile.

His mate smiled back at him, her familiar scar plucking at the corner of her mouth and making her all the more... Myvi. She had chopped her hair recently, keeping it beneath her ears and easy to manage. "How are you, dearest?"

"I'm fine..." Harry mumbled, his cheeks pinking at the thought of how loud he had been both the night before and this morning. Baro, he could hear bustling in the kitchen, the smell of late breakfast making his mouth water and drawing the curious shrieks of James from somewhere in the living room. "A little sore but nothing that won't clear up in a day. How are you, Myvi? I didn't see you yesterday."

"One would assume you had been too preoccupied with other matters, dearest." Myvi's lopsided smile was filled with humour, her eyes crinkling with the heated glare Harry cast in her direction. She laughed as she moved towards the kitchen, settling him in a chair with ease. "I'm quite alright, Harry, I was merely visiting a sibling. The youngest of my brothers has found a wife for himself rather than indulge our mother and seek out whether his destiny was to become a Destined. He seems happy though, so I can only assume all will settle in the end and mother will accept it."

"Surely being happy is the main thing for a mother to want for her child?" Harry tried not to squirm in the hard seat as he spoke, his gaze on Erin and James as his mate settled the chattering infant in a highchair by the table.

"You'd be surprised at the amount of Dragonettes and Destined who take our connection to the dragons too seriously, beautiful," Erin's voice was sad, though his smile was bright as he handed Harry a small pot with no label. "Some believe us to be above human interactions; though that amount is tiny, it still exists, unfortunately."

"How... bizarre," Harry muttered, a frown fixed on the pot of stuff Erin had given him before he raised confused eyes to his fellow submissive. Erin merely winked and spooned a mouthful of heated mush into James' open mouth. Baffled, Harry tucked the jar away for later inspection and offered a bright smile to Baro as the Dragonette placed a plate full of food before him. The violet eyed man smiled softly, his head sweeping down to kiss Harry briefly on the mouth before he continued with the food.

"Oh, Baro, my sister would like to know what time she should arrive next Sunday to help us set up? She and Gerith want to bake a cake aswell to bring so no buying a big, hawky one." Erin made faces as he spoke, his pink mouth mimicking James' as the baby chewed his food. Harry smiled into his plate, though his eyes strayed to Baro curiously.

"Ah.." The Dragonette narrowed his gaze in thought as he placed a plate before Myvi and carded a hand through her shorter hair. "Have her and Gerith arrive before ten, Erin. I'll tell my own family not to come until noon and I'll send word to Harry's family to be here an hour before that, so he's at ease for the introductions. I know Theo no longer has contact with his family, but is there anyone you wish to invite for James' introduction, Myvi?"

"Not particularly," the woman shook her head with a thoughtful smile. "Gerard is settling with his new wife, two of my brothers I've lost contact with and the other one I've never much liked anyway. I suppose I must invite Mother and it is possibly Kayo will come with her. He's been rather distraught since his Dragonette died last winter, and being the only other in the mateship, he's nobody to cling to but my mother."

"He is most welcome, as is your Mother," Baro ran soothing fingers through the blonde's hair, his violet gaze switching to Harry. "I'll be sure to inform your Charlie of the upcoming party, Harry. He is sure to tell the rest of your family."

Harry nodded softly, his spirits high and his smile bright as Theo stumbled into the kitchen in search of food, one brown eyes closing swiftly in a wink at Harry as he did so. He gravitated through breakfast with an ease he had not felt in a while and made his way painfully up the staircase to deposit the strange pot of gel Erin had given him by his locker. It was only when he had begun to lie down that Erin charged in and plucked up the jar, two fingers dipping into the mysterious stuff before he ordered Harry to drop his trousers and showed him that the mysterious substance was, in fact, a very specific pain reliever.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: oki, oki, I stiffed you on the lemons, I know sometimes I get embarrassed and end up in a fit of the giggles trying to write one. There is a lemon in this chapter but I'm a wee bit wary of putting it on here, so if you want to read it it's on my adult fan fiction .page. The link is- : / / hp . adult fan fiction story . php ? no = ( but without the spaces) Thanks to all my reviewers ^^

**Chapter Ten**: Erin

Baro was flying.

The dragon was a brilliant blood red, glinting in the evening sun, the darkening hue of the sky casting shadows over his scales and dousing his large head in darkness whenever he sunk below the treeline to creep like some vast predator towards where his family sat on the grass. His violet eyes were inhuman, so strange and yet so utterly familiar to Erin's senses.

He watched the huge beast launch from the forest behind their manor and into the sky once more, until he was barely a shape against the pink hue of the clouds. He plummeted towards them in a nose dive, his wings snapping out to catch him miles before he reached them in a way that made James shriek in excitement and flutter his own red wings.

Erin laughed with the baby, his back leaning against Theo's chest to feel each rumbling chuckle that came from the brunette. Gentle fingers carded through his blonde hair, a low growl of exasperation coming from the dominant each time Baro swept a gust of air towards them and pulled the soft strands from his grasp.

Myvi lounged on the grass beside them, her lips lifting in the softest of smiles each time Harry laughed. The smallest of the mateship had settled on his stomach by James, his dark hair falling in gentle curls around his slender face. His pale fingers tugged on James' bright wings each time they expanded, earning himself a quizzical glance from the baby. Erin watched them with a small smile, his hands splayed out in the grass before him as he leaned increasingly forward, as though drawn towards the pair.

When he landed, Baro was in human form once more, or as human as he could appear with a littering of red scales across his unclothed chest and dark wings that folded behind him as he walked towards them. He gripped James in large hands, the infant kicking his pudgy legs out in wild swings and his tiny wings fluttering in a desperate attempt to take to the skies. The sight was enough to wrinkle Erin's nose in amusement.

Tomorrow would be the party. A day in which their son would be introduced to the family and Harry would be under the assessing stare of strangers. The brunette seemed unaffected by the approaching gathering, his pink lips stretched in a bright smile and his eyes a brighter green than Erin had ever seen them before. Though as Erin watched, nervous gestures became all the more evident. Curious gazes would dart towards their manor, his mate's soft brow furrowing in abrupt consternation before it smoothed out once more, as though there existed an internal battle within Harry to not think about tomorrow and to calm down.

Erin knew ways of calming him down.

Pale blue eyes narrowed and Erin's gaze darkened as he continued to stare at the oblivious Destined, Harry's almost childlike habit of plucking the grass up with his fingers and turning his face to catch the sunlight was drawing a slow purr from the other submissive. For over a year, Erin had been the only submissive caught between an asexual protector and the always heated, always willing bodies of Theodore and Baro. Though he desired nothing as responsible as being a dominant, Erin's fingers twitched in the grass, longing to grasp Harry's slender forearm and pull him towards him.

He felt Theo stand slowly, so as not to topple Erin over. The man stretched with a sigh, his eyes watching the stars as they began to appear, the sun now a gentle glow against the horizon. Erin watched Harry follow his stare, his lips forming a perfect 'o' as he breathed out a sigh. He stretched like a cat unfurling from sleep, his limbs graceful and long and littered with a small collection of the faintest scars. Erin had not felt that soft skin beneath his fingers since he had instructed Harry how to administer the pain relief gel, and then it had only been the teasing touch of fingers against hips as he rolled down the smaller man's pyjama bottoms until Harry had begun to stutter in embarrassment and Erin had chosen to leave him alone.

But he wanted to feel it now. He craved it. He wanted to run his hands over that incredibly pale skin and feel Harry writhe beneath him, his slender body completely devoid of the baggy jumpers and loose pants that he traipsed around in.

"Erin?"

A pale hand stretched out before him, Erin glanced up into bright green eyes and smiled.

"Sorry, beautiful, I was miles away."

Harry grinned, his hand grasping Erin's and pulling the blonde to his feet, where he stood inches above Harry himself. "Yeah, I gathered that. Come on, it's starting to get cold." He walked by Erin's side towards the house behind the rest of the mateship, his fingers brushing against the blonde's and causing his stomach to twist strangely.

There was a subtle change to Erin's scent that had been growing increasingly since the birth. It was as though the blonde's natural odour had been entwined with James', giving Harry a false reading and spiking the protective urge he had felt for the pregnant blonde. Now, though, with Erin's stomach flat beneath the pale shirt he wore, his scent was different, stronger. It was unlike Myvi's fierceness but seemed to wrap around his senses in a way that was similar. Though it didn't drown him like Theo's scent or make him weak as Baro's often did, Harry felt the bizarre desire to duck his head when those pale blue eyes landed on his face.

He stumbled in the hallway when Erin blew lightly against his cheek as he often did when other's were not paying attention. Had the blonde's arms not snapped out to steady him, he would have fallen. His face heated at the thought, what was wrong with him?

A familiar spike of lust unfurled in his stomach, sparking heat against his cheeks as he ducked his head against the blonde's inspection and darted for the staircase. This was a lust unlike the pounding that Baro caused in his body, unlike even the gentle motion of floating on sensations that Theo left him with.

This was lust for Erin.

Sweeter, but wholly predatory.

He felt almost like a deer that had been hunted to the edges of a fence, nowhere to flee to and almost unwilling to. He wanted to be hunted. He wanted to be caught.

A confused hum vibrated against his closed mouth as he darted for his bedroom, a bed he had not slept in for days because he had slept in another's. He had felt nothing like this for Erin before. Theirs had been a relationship based on trust, innocent love and gentle flirtations, mostly on Erin's part.

He was lying. A groan sounded in the room as he recalled the sudden spike of arousal he had felt when Erin had been in labour, his pinkened body spread out on the bed and his eyes lidded with emotions. He had begun feeling the shift in their relationship ever since Erin had birthed James, leaving no barrier between the submissives. The baby had been a deterrent, a wall that had prevented them from lusting and falling to their instincts and made the attachment Harry felt one of protection.

But there was no need to protect Erin now. There was no baby to hurt now within Erin and the blonde's scent had changed to signal that. Erin was fully returned to himself.

"Hello Harry..."

The purr was far too close, jolting an embarrassing squeak from Harry as the smaller male turned and put them at arm's distance. Erin stood behind him, a smirk playing across his lips and his pale eyes far too dark to be anything but aroused. Erin's magic surrounded him, coaxing sparks from his skin with each gentle brush against his own magic. He could do little but whine at the sensation, his eyelids flickering shut as Erin's arm went around him, his palm pressed against Harry's lower back and tugging at the jumper he wore. With one swift swoop, Erin's mouth was against his own.

###

Harry awoke to someone sniffing him.

Disorientated, he swatted out, his nose wrinkling as he turned on his side and burrowed deeper into the warmth that surrounded him. Arms tightened around his stomach, drawing him against a lean chest as a nose nestled in the crook of his neck, breathing deeply.

Harry groaned at the sensation, his body arching against the one behind it.

An answering groan met his, though not from behind and he blinked bleary eyes to see Theo in front of him, completely devoid of clothing and watching him with a wicked smile.

"Why is it every time I have sex you have the indecency to wake me up?" Harry growled the words, his throat thick from sleep and his arm rising to swat once more when Theo pressed his nose to Harry's hair and breathed deeply.

"You smell amazing... Like Erin and you and sex, all rolled into one. I bet Erin smells the same."

"You start sniffing me, Theodore and I'll bite your nose off."

Erin's voice was muffled by Harry's back, the blonde's breath tickling his skin until he squirmed. "Where's Baro and Myvi?"

"I'm right here," Baro's amused voice sounded from the doorway, causing Harry and Erin's heads to dart up and watch warily as he moved slowly forward. A shiver ran down Harry's spine as his position squashed between a very naked Erin and a very naked Theo became all the more compromised. Baro's violet eyes were dark and a low rumbling purr had begun to vibrate in his large chest.

"Oi!" A female voice that did not belong to Myvi suddenly shouted up the staircase, "Erin, you have two seconds to take this heavy cake off of me and give your sister a hug!"

Erin's disappointed mewl was matched only by Harry's huff of annoyance.

"What impeccable timing."


End file.
